BOOK EXCERPT: Love, Lust, and Scandal in Professional Football by Destiny Blaine

Copyright © 2008

Love, Lust, and Scandal in Professional Football

Prologue

For as long as I can remember, I've watched professional football. There's something about snuggling up in my flannel gown with a hot cup of cocoa sipping in the flavor while watching a field full of tight asses run up and down the turf. There's nothing like it. A woman can really begin to feel the love just by escaping into the world of blood, sweat and tears. Okay, so that developed into quite a visual. Leave it to me. I get carried away when I think about these guys.

I've heard plenty of men describe the sensation they have when they first step into an open stadium. The way the sounds engulf them with the rumble of cheers and stomping, clapping and screaming–it's been described as an out-of-body experience. I can truly relate. Every kick-off I watch on football Sunday rallies the excitement in my soul, even though so much has changed since I decided to become a devoted fan.

Years ago, I watched the games on television and now, I'm in the lap of luxury. Football altered my life course. Thanks to the game, I'm living in a different end zone altogether. My name is Cassie Teller and this is my story.

Chapter 1

I can't remember ever gladly answering my phone during a football game. All of my girlfriends used to call me during, not before, Sunday's games. They typically wanted to grab a quick tip or two on the day's events. They always wanted to try and impress the guy of the hour so on occasion, I shared my knowledge.

Since I have numerous girlfriends who date the jock-type, I eventually stopped answering my phone. After all, there were too many things these gals disrupted on Sunday afternoon, or heaven forbid, on Monday Night. Since my fantasies were few and far between, the guys in tight pants won my attention and did they ever hold it once they earned it.

The Sunday before Christmas 2005 turned into the exception. The phone rang during the Pittsburgh and Minnesota game. I happened to knock it off the hook or else I wouldn't have answered it. On the other end, I heard a familiar voice.

Steve, also known as my best friend with sexual benefits, tripped over his words and I barely paid attention to anything he said. I just knew he crashed my private party looking for a little roll in the hay. Immediately on guard, I went from zero to bitch in three point seven seconds. He called, after all, to interrupt my favorite pastime.

"Steve, what are you doing? It's not even half-time yet."
The words seemed to flip off my tongue.

Lucky for me, he didn't notice because he, in fact, called with some pretty great news.

"Cassie, you are going to owe me the best blow in the world for this one, baby. I have tickets to the Christmas Eve Cleveland and Pittsburgh game and I wanted to see if you've ever been to Cleveland?"

"Why? Do you need directions?" I crammed a handful of popcorn in my mouth.

"Smart-ass. No, I don't. Wanna go?"

I almost fell over. Then, I almost dropped the phone. I'm not lying to you. I was that damn excited. "Steve, are you asking me out on a date or do you want me to ride with you just to be sure you can make it to Cleveland?"

I tried not to let my enthusiasm pour through the phone. Touchdown Pittsburgh. "Minnesota sucks," I said as I rejoined the conversation already in full swing on the other end of the phone.

"Look, kiddo, Mandy's going too. She really likes you and would love to get to know you better. So how about it? Wanna take a ride up to Cleveland with us?"

Mandy. The very mention of the woman's name just sent shivers down my spine. Mandy was everything I wasn't. She had long black hair and a shapely body that sent most men into orbit every time she swayed into the room—and could Mandy ever sway with those curvaceous hips. I, on the other hand, never possessed what someone would call curves, and outside of the great tits I carried around, my body defined ordinary and owned the term skinny.

"So, will I be chauffeuring you and the lovely Mandy to the gate because I know you didn't land three tickets?"

Steve laughed. "Honey, as much as you love football, if I only had one ticket, you'd be the one to sit in the stands."

I waited for a more direct response. Actually, I dreaded the whole truth. I felt confident it existed along with some underlying motive.

"I have two tickets, so you and Mandy are going to the game."

"When hell freezes over." I couldn't think of anything else to say. I actually meant it.

"Aren't you the least bit excited?" Steve pressed on. I wasn't surprised. He always pressed on—in bed, in life, in phone sex. Persistent as hell—he served his gender well.

He also loved to rub Mandy in my face—not in the literal sense, of course. Thank heavens. After all, I'd always suspected he wanted a threesome, with me included in the trio. In fact, the dreaded day when he might bring it up seemed to loom with the sudden invitation.

I sighed. "I'm about as excited as I would be to land in bed with both you and Mandy."

Without missing a beat, Steve perked right up. "Now there's a great idea!"

I moaned and my stomach churned when I caught a five-second visual. I cursed my mind's eye and caught the end of our good-byes.

"Call me tomorrow." One thing about it, Steve knew how to leave a girl with a smile.

I finished the last drop of hot cocoa and decided to make a hot toddy to finish out the game. Pittsburgh won 18-3 and I won five hundred dollars just like I usually did when I bet on Pittsburgh. The following week would be time for a big payday and, with any luck, I'd run into one of those sexy boys from the keystone state.

I began to imagine what he'd look like and had quite the fantasy going on too. He'd fall madly in love with me when he'd spot me. He'd be ready to miss the kickoff just to stay locked in my gaze.
We'd just click. Kind of like Steve and I clicked, only without the Mandy.

* * * *

Six o'clock in the morning came too early on Christmas Eve. I heard the doorbell ring then I heard the key in the lock and knew my morning caller was Steve. Once the snap of the latch sounded, any doubts were put to rest. After all, he held the only extra key to my cottage and he
classified as the only person I knew dumb enough to visit me before noon.

I groaned and rolled over while pulling the sheets tight over my head. The bedroom door remained securely closed but I knew Steve would be straight through the door and into bed within minutes. I slid out of my nightshirt and panties knowing inevitable sex loomed. I anticipated it, even craved it.

"Why couldn't you let me sleep until eight? Cleveland is only four hours away," I grumbled from under the covers but disappointment never consumed me. I could feel him watching me, almost mockingly, as I tried to pretend I wasn't waiting for him.

He slid in beside me. "Hey baby."

As soon as the words slipped from his lips, eager hands went straight to work. Met with a hard cock against my thigh, his breath tasted sweet as he swarmed down on me with fresh morning kisses. First, around my neck and then lower to the swell of my breast. Finally, he found the place where I liked to feel him best.

I couldn't contain myself as his tongue did things to me no woman deserves. His adoration provided just the right amount of spice I needed to start off my day. It even allowed for enough inspiration—perhaps I could tolerate Mandy for the day. It's amazing what one-upping a woman can do for a gal's ego.

After more of the same breathless sex, we lay in each other's arms
talking about the game and my favorite subject, Mandy.

Steve talked about how excited the young woman seemed just because she
would be able to get to know me. I had to hand it to the girl. She
evidently knew how to work her man—and the competition.

He continued to blow up Mandy into this incredible all-around woman and
explained how much she wanted to find out all she could about football
from a "chick's point of view" and I'm sure he believed
every word of it. I didn't tell Steve but the chick-thing was enough
to curl my toes. In any event, he wanted me to feel comfortable around
Mandy because he felt fairly confident about their future. She was the
one—again.

"Here's the thing," I told him. "I am quite sure
she's not the one because if she is then I think she's more than
capable of giving it up for morning love, too." I couldn't
resist giving him a tongue-in-cheek just to drive the point home.

Steve, a great looking guy with blond hair and blue eyes, knew he
provided just the right amount of eye-candy for the ladies. He looked
liked the surfer type but he didn't have a lick of common sense. He
thought every girl who ever cooked him dinner and took him home to meet
their mom deserved to wear the title of `the one'.

Unfortunately, Steve had hang-ups and once the girlfriend discovered I
weighed in as one of them, she moved on to bigger and better things.
Though I doubt she found either of those in the bedroom after leaving
Steve's bed. In fact, I'd be willing to place a wager on it.

In high school, Steve and I were inseparable and everyone used to call
us the golden couple because we looked so much alike. We both flashed
great tans and possessed blond locks with big baby blues. I guess we
were rather cute. We did everything together and most people read in
between the lines when they saw us side by side—apparently, we left
very little to the imagination. Yes, we were fuck-buddies from a young
age forward.

"Oh, I got you a present." Steve started rumbling through his
coat pocket as he said it. After a few moments of fumbling through what
must have been very deep pockets, he appeared with an oblong box.
Another small box attached on top with thin little green and red ribbons
held the neat little package together. The whole concept revealed his
sweeter side until I made the mistake of sitting straight up in bed
exposing my upper half and he made the crucial error of noting it.

"Whew." Steve almost foamed at the mouth. "I will never be
able to get enough of those tits."

Moment ruined.

I opened the rectangular box first and found the tickets to the
Cleveland and Pittsburgh game. There were three tickets instead of two
and suddenly I felt more at ease about the day ahead. Steve maintained a
dumb blonde look on his face like he didn't understand why my
enthusiasm for the day went up a notch or two. "You mean you
haven't been looking forward to the game until just now?"

I didn't want to wreck the hour so I just shrugged and gave him a
your-my-pal hug. The truth hammered itself into my chest. I could've
just as easily grabbed his dick. I was that damn excited. I didn't
have to deal with Mandy solo.

Praise to the ticket master gods or whoever had my back. The day looked
brighter already.

The next box took me by surprise. When I opened it, I really expected to
find a condom with a little note attached with something crude like,
"You wanna go again?" or "Let's bang" but instead, I
stared down at a beautiful antique locket on a gorgeous golden box
chain.

"Now don't go making a big deal out of it," Steve began.
"It was mom's favorite and she wanted you to have it someday
since I was an only child and all."

Steve's mom passed away five days before Christmas the previous
year. I had known her all of my life because she worked at the local
library where I spent a great deal of time. From the second grade
forward, I'd gone there daily after school just so I wouldn't
have to go home to a drunken household.

Inscribed on the back of the locket was "My daughter, my
friend". Steve explained that his grandmother had given it to his
mother and the closest thing his mom ever had to a daughter was me. I
cried—actually wept uncontrollably seems like a better way to define
undeniable sobs.

For the first time in all of the years I'd been bed partners with Steve, we made love. Tender and sweet, the bed didn't just rock—my world, as I knew it, moved to a whole new dimension.

The truth is, my soul crumbled that day and when it did, the ever-present reminder of how much I cared for Steve seemed to taunt me. I never knew passionate affection could top uninhibited and hard core, but it sure brought a different kind of unexplainable pleasure. It also
sent a thrilling chill straight up my spine with a new kind of recognition.

Yes, it scared the hell out of me.

[Love, Lust, and Scandal in Professional Football by Destiny Blaine]
http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/destinyblaine/llasipf.asp

Cover Art by Jinger Heaston

LOVE, LUST, AND SCANDAL
IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
Sports Wives 1
ISBN: 1-60601-027-1
E-book $4.50

[Love, Lust, and Scandal in Professional Football by Destiny Blaine]
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